CONNOQUENESSING - If brown recluse spiders were as big as the one lurking in the front hall of Connoquenessing Elementary School, most people would have reason to fear them.

Along with 66 other arthropods, the oversized spider has invaded the school.

But visitors need not fear the bugs - they're made of papier-mâché.

The bugs are part of a research project in which sixth graders took part, said principal Tim Sisinni.

Students in Allyson Werner, Karen Robb and Roy Frazier's classes worked on their research and writing skills by finding out about their favorite arthropods.

Arthropods are any creatures with jointed legs. They also are identified by their segmented bodies and exoskeletons, or hard, external supporting structures.

Students were required to use at least four sources of information to develop a report. A papier-mâché version of their arthropod also was to accompany the report.

All 67 bugs are on display, along with their corresponding reports, in the school's main hallway.

Students who participated in the project said it was fun and educational.

Jasmin Koebler chose the monarch butterfly for her project.

"I've always liked this kind of butterfly," she said. "I thought it would be fun to research and study."

Koebler used a cleaning bottle for the body and wire for the wings, then covered the entire thing in papier-mâché. She then used tacks for the eyes and pipe cleaner for the antennae.

Through her research, Koebler said she learned one thing she never knew about the butterfly.

"I didn't know it smelled with its feet," she said, laughing.

Classmate Andy Snyder made a giant African dung beetle for his project, complete with a model of the dung the bug prefers to eat.

"I wanted to learn about them and what they do in their life," he said.

Snyder used a Styrofoam bottle for the bug's body, wire for its legs and covered it in papier-mâché.

Snyder said he learned a lot of things about the unique bug, one of which isn't very appetizing.

"They can eat three piles of elephant dung in just two hours," he said.

Amy Metrick chose to do her project on honey bees because her family raises them.

Like her classmates, she used a combination of Styrofoam, papier-mâché and wire to make her model bee.

Although her family raises the bees, Metrick said she still learned a few things she didn't know.

"They can't see the color red," she said.

Sisinni said the projects have benefited the entire school because the younger students are able to view the papier-mâché models and read the sixth graders' reports on them.

The display will be open to the public the evening of April 19 for the all-school science fair.